Gripping device for handling a lid

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a gripping device for more hygienic handling of a lid for a container. In general, the gripping device fits over the lid and releasably grips the outer surface of the lid. At least a portion of at least one interior circumference of the gripping device has a gripper for imparting suitable friction to releasably grip the lid. When the gripping device is placed over the lid, the gripper grips the lid and does not release the lid until after the lid is placed on the container. The gripping device facilitates sealing of the lid around the entire circumference of the container, thereby preventing accidental spills caused by unclosed or partially closed lids. By using the gripping device, the lid may be handled without the operator&#39;s hand touching any part of the lid itself.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/321,819, titled “GRIPPING DEVICE FOR HANDLING A LID,” filed on Apr. 7, 2010, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The invention is directed to a gripping device for more hygienic, safe and versatile handling of a lid for a disposable cup.

BACKGROUND

Takeout beverages such as coffee and coffee drinks, tea and tea drinks, soft drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, other frozen beverages and other beverages are commonly sold in disposable cups with plastic lids. Frequently, the server, the customer of a self-service beverage, or other operator manually places the lid on the cup before or after the cup is filled with the beverage. The operator must press around the entire circumference of the lid to ensure that the lid is sealed to the cup to avoid spills. Accidental spills may result if the operator fails to seal around the entire lid. This manual handling can also be unhygienic, especially when the operator touches the inner surface of the lid, which contacts the beverage in the cup, or a drinking opening, which is a part of the lid that is intended to be drunk from without a straw.

Some establishments that serve beverages attempt to protect the outer surface of the lid from contamination by placing the stack of disposable lids so that the inner surface of the lid is facing up. However, this “upside down” technique allows the inner surface, which contacts the beverage in the cup, to be exposed to possible contamination. This technique also does not prevent the operator from touching the drinking opening when sealing the lid to the cup.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a gripping device for more hygienic, safe and versatile handling of a lid for a container. In general, the gripping device fits over the lid and releasably grips the outer surface of the lid. At least a portion of at least one interior circumference of the gripping device has a gripper for imparting suitable friction to releasably grip the lid. When the gripping device is placed over the lid, the gripper grips the lid and does not release the lid until after the lid is placed on the container. The gripping device facilitates sealing of the lid around the entire circumference of the cup, thereby preventing accidental spills caused by unclosed or partially closed lids. By using the gripping device, the lid may be handled without the operator's hand touching any part of the lid itself. The gripping device may be configured to grip several sizes of lids for more versatility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gripping device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a lid.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the gripping device according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the gripping device according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dome-shaped lid.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a substantially flat lid.

FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a gripping device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a gripping device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a stack of lids.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a container for a stack of lids.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a gripping device 100 has an outer surface 150, a top 160 and an inner chamber or cavity 180. The gripping device 100 is configured to engage and grip a lid 200 for a container. In one embodiment, the gripping device is substantially cylindrical with an open end and a closed end. In this embodiment, the outer surface is formed by the wall of the cylinder, the closed end forms the top 160, and the inner chamber or cavity 180 is formed in the open end.

An operator holds the gripping device 100 by the outer surface 150. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the outer surface 150 is cylindrical. However the outer surface may be formed to any shape or size compatible with the inner chamber or cavity 180. For example, the outer surface 150 may be asymmetric, domed, cupped, ergonomically shaped or otherwise shaped. The outer surface 150 may further include a handle or other feature that is decorative or assists the operator in handling the gripping device 100.

The inner chamber or cavity 180 includes a first inner engagement surface 110 configured to engage with the lid 200 by having a shape that is substantially congruous to at least a part of the lid 200. In one embodiment, the lid 200 includes a cylindrical outer surface 210 having a radius of R1′. In this embodiment, the first inner engagement surface 110 is a cylindrical surface having a radius of R1 and is configured to be substantially parallel to the outer surface 210 of the lid 200 when the gripping device 100 engages the lid 200. R1 may be slightly larger than R1′ but is sized to allow the first inner engagement surface 110 to fit in gripping engagement with the lid 200.

The inner chamber or cavity 180 is configured to allow engagement between the first inner engagement surface 110 with the outer surface 210 of the lid 200 by having sufficient space to receive parts of the lid 200 that protrude above the outer surface 210 of the lid 200 that is engaged by the gripping device 100. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the outer surface 210 of the lid 200 may extend into the inner chamber or cavity 180 when the gripping device 100 is placed over the lid 200. The gripping device 100 and the inner chamber or cavity 180 may take any size or shape to accommodate any size, type or number of lids. For example, the inner chamber or cavity 180 may be sized and shaped to fit a lid typically used to cover hot beverages, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, a gripping device 100′ may have a more domed shape with a dome-shaped inner chamber or cavity 180′ for fitting a lid 200′ typically used on frozen beverages such as milkshakes, smoothies or the like, as shown in FIG. 4. As another example, the gripping device may be substantially flat with only enough space in the inner chamber or cavity 180 to accommodate a lid 200″ generally used to cover soft drinks, as shown in FIG. 5.

To assist in the gripping of the lid 200, the first inner engagement surface 110 may have a first gripping segment 115. In one embodiment, the first gripping segment 115 covers all or a portion of the first inner engagement surface 110. The gripping segment 115 may include, by way of example, a textured surface, a layer of adhesive, or a rubber or rubberized layer. However, the gripping segment is not limited in this manner, and can include any mechanism for enhancing the grip of the device on the lid. For example, an alternative gripping segment may include a series of spring-loaded ball bearings, a tube insert in a cavity, a rubber tube or similar, or the like.

In one embodiment, the lid 200 has a drinking opening 270 that a consumer may drink from. A corresponding embodiment of the gripping device 100 has an inner chamber or cavity 180 that is configured to not contact the portion of the lid 200 corresponding to the drinking opening 270. In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first engagement portion 110 includes a cutout 172 that substantially avoids contact between the gripping device 100 and a section of the outer surface 210 of the lid 200 when the lid is engaged with and gripped by the gripping device. In addition, such a gripping device may have an indicator arrow 175 on the top 160 and/or an indicator line 170 along the outer surface 150 that indicates the location of the cutout 172 to guide placement of the gripping device 100 over the drinking opening 270 of the lid 200. This is useful, for example, to avoid contact between the gripping device 100 and the portion of the lid 200 corresponding to the drinking opening 270. In another embodiment, the outer surface 210 of the lid 200 is asymmetric and the indicator arrow 175 and/or indicator line 170 assist in aligning the gripping device 100 with the lid 200 to allow the gripping device 100 to effectively engage and grip the lid 200.

In one embodiment, the gripping device 100 has more than one engagement surface so that a single gripping device can be used to place differently sized lids on containers of different size or type. For example, the gripping device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has three engagement surfaces 110, 120 and 130. Each engagement surface 110, 120 and 130 may have a gripping segment 115, 125 and 135, respectively. The first engagement surface 110 has an inner radius of R1 and is configured to grip a first lid with an outer surface radius of R1′. Similarly, the second engagement surface 120 has an inner radius of R2 and is configured to grip a second lid with an outer surface radius of R2′, and the third engagement surface 130 has an inner radius of R3 and is configured to grip a third lid with an outer surface radius of R3′. R2 and R2′, and R3 and R3′ have dimensions that satisfy the conditions stated above with reference to R1 and R1′. As shown in FIG. 2, the first engagement portion 110, the second engagement portion 120 and the third engagement portion 130 include a cutout 172 that prevents a section of the outer surface of the first lid, second lid or the third lid from being contacted by the gripping device 100 when any of the lids is engaged with and gripped by the gripping device. Alternatively, the gripping device may have a single engagement surface to accommodate lids having outer surfaces of the same radius but having different shapes or forms above or below the outer surface. In one embodiment, the gripping device has two engagement surfaces to accommodate two lid sizes for even greater versatility. Yet another embodiment may have more than three engagement surfaces to accommodate more than three lid sizes or types.

Another embodiment of the gripping device 100″, shown in FIG. 7, is designed for use with only one type of lid, for example the lid shown in FIG. 1A. The gripping device 100″ has one engagement surface 110 having a radius of R1, where R1 is sized as described above in reference to gripping device 100. In an embodiment, the gripping device 100″ has a gripping segment 115 that is substantially the same as the gripping segment 115 as described above in reference to gripping device 100.

The gripping device may be made of any suitable material, without limitation. For example, the gripping device may be made of a disposable material and therefore may be disposable. Alternatively, the gripping device may be made of a durable material and may be reusable.

The gripping device is not limited to using only friction to grip the lids, but may grip the lid by other methods, such as vacuum, suction cups or magnets.

The embodiments described herein include lids for containers. The lid may be a lid for any type of container, for example a lid for a cup, bowl, or other container. The lid may be disposable or reusable. The cup, bowl or other container may be disposable or reusable. In one embodiment, the gripping device is configured to place a disposable lid onto a disposable cup. Alternatively, the gripping device may be used to engage any type of object.

To use the gripping device 100, the operator fits the gripping device 100 over the lid 200 of the container. When the gripping device 100 is placed over the lid 200, the engagement surface 110, the gripping segment 115 and possibly the inner chamber or cavity 180 act to grip the lid 200. In another embodiment, vacuum, suction cups or magnets may be used to grip the lid 200. The lid 200 is not released until after the lid is placed on the container. Once the operator has placed the gripping device 100 and lid 200 over the container, the operator presses the gripping device 100 toward the container, which in turn presses the lid 200 toward the cup to facilitate sealing of the lid 200 around the entire circumference of the container. The gripping device 100 thereby increases safety by preventing accidental spills from improperly sealed lids. By using the gripping device 100, the lid 200 may be handled and sealed onto the container without the operator's hand touching any part of the lid 200 itself.

In one embodiment, the gripping device can be used to engage and handle a lid on a stack of a plurality of lids 250, as shown in FIG. 8. The gripping device 100 is fitted over the topmost lid 200 on the stack 250 to engage that lid and remove the lid from the stack for transfer to a cup. The gripping device is then used, as discussed above, to place and seal the lid on the cup.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the stack of lids 250 is disposed in a stack container 300 that holds the stack of lids secure and prevents or reduces environmental contamination of the stack of lids. In addition, the stack container 300 allows a topmost lid 200 of the stack 250 to be engaged by the gripping device 100. In one embodiment, the stack container 300 is in the shape of a tall rectangular prism resting on a bottom face 305. The stack container 300 has an open top 310 and an open side 320. The open side 320 includes a retaining feature 325 along each edge extending from the bottom face 305 toward the open top 310. The stack 250 can be loaded into the stack container 300 from the open top 310, and the retaining features 325 prevent the stack 250 from spilling out of the open side 320 of the stack container. The retaining features 325 are dimensioned to allow a user to use the gripping device 100 to grip the top lid 200 of the stack 250 and remove the gripping device and the engaged lid from the stack container 300 via the open top 310. In addition, the stack container 300 and retainer features 325 are dimensioned to allow the user to engage a final lid resting on the bottom of the stack container.

In one embodiment, the gripping device 100 is stored in a device container when not in use. For example, the device container may be a dish or a tray. The device container allows the gripping device 100 to be easily grasped by the user. In addition, the device container prevents or reduces environmental contamination of the gripping device 100. As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the device container can take on any size or shape suitable for containing or fitting the gripping device. Also, if desired, and depending on the composition of the gripping device, the device container may include a non-toxic sterilizing or sanitizing solution to keep the gripping device sterile or sanitary between uses.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art understand that various modifications and changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. 

1. A gripping device comprising: an outer surface; and an inner cavity comprising a first engagement surface configured to contact a portion of an outer surface of an object and to substantially avoid contact with another portion of the outer surface of the object, the first engagement surface having a shape substantially congruous with the outer surface of the object.
 2. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the inner cavity further comprises a first gripping segment.
 3. The gripping device according to claim 2, wherein the first gripping segment covers at least a portion of the first engagement surface.
 4. The gripping device according to claim 2, wherein the first gripping segment comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a textured surface, a layer of adhesive, a rubber, a rubberized layer, a series of spring-loaded ball bearings, a tube insert in a cavity, a rubber tube, suction cups, vacuum, magnets and combinations thereof.
 5. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the object comprises an opening and the gripping device is configured to prevent the opening from touching the gripping device when the object is engaged with and gripped by the gripping device.
 6. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the inner cavity further comprises a second engagement surface configured to engage and grip an outer surface of a second object.
 7. The gripping device according to claim 6, wherein the inner cavity further comprises a third engagement surface configured to engage and grip an outer surface of a third object.
 8. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement surface and the inner cavity are configured to engage and grip at least two objects of differing types.
 9. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface comprises an indicator line configured to align the gripping device with the object.
 10. A method of using a gripping device to grip an object, the object comprising an outer surface, the gripping device comprising: an outer surface, and an inner cavity comprising a first engagement surface configured to contact a portion of the outer surface of the object; the method comprising: placing the gripping device over the object such that at least part of the object is engaged within the inner cavity, aligning the gripping device on the object such that the first engagement surface engages and grips the outer surface of the object, using the gripping device to lift the object and place the object, and removing the gripping device from the object.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first engagement surface is configured to engage and grip an outer surface of the object.
 12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the first engagement surface further comprises a first gripping segment covering at least a portion of the first engagement surface.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first gripping segment comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a textured surface, a layer of adhesive, a rubber, a rubberized layer, a series of spring-loaded ball bearings, a tube insert in a cavity, a rubber tube, suction cups, vacuum, magnets and combinations thereof.
 14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the inner cavity further comprises a second engagement surface configured to engage and grip an outer surface of a second object.
 15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the inner cavity further comprises a third engagement surface configured to engage and grip an outer surface of a third object.
 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first engagement surface and the inner cavity are configured to engage and grip at least two objects of differing types.
 17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the gripping device is configured to substantially avoid contact with another portion of the outer surface of the object.
 18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the object comprises an opening and the gripping device is configured to not touch the opening when the object is engaged with and gripped by the gripping device.
 19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the outer surface comprises an indicator line configured to align the gripping device with the object.
 20. The method according to claim 10, wherein the object is a lid for a container, the method further comprising pressing the gripping device toward the container to seal the circumference of the lid to the container. 